1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to computer input/output (I/O) devices and interrupt moderation.
2. Background Information
A computing platform or device is any hardware and/or software based system that includes the capability to perform logic and/or arithmetic operations, and may include the capability to transmit and receive data between itself and one or more additional computing platforms coupled via a transmission media. Computing platforms may include, without limitation, personal computers, laptop computers, servers, set-top boxes, hand-held devices, and numerous other types of systems. A computing platform may include code in the form of instructions, including but not limited to one or more device drivers or operating systems. Computing platforms coupled to a transmission medium may include, for example, servers, personal computers, routers, switches, or hubs. Additionally, there are several different types of networks, including Wide Area Networks (WAN) and Local Area Networks (LAN) to cite two possible examples.
Computer networks are typically constructed by coupling two or more computing platforms to a data transmission medium, such as, for example, fiber optic cable, category 5 (CAT-5) network cabling, or wireless media, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN). These computing platforms typically access the transmission medium through an input/output (I/O) device, such as a network interface card (NIC) or local area network (LAN) on motherboard (LOM), for example. I/O devices may comprise any device capable of routing, switching, repeating, receiving or passing data between one or more computing platforms or devices. An I/O device may include a network transmitter and/or receiver, and an I/O controller, for example. Electronic data is typically exchanged by using one or more types of data protocols, such as, for example, the transmission control protocol (TCP), which, as is well known, is a protocol that operates within a multi-layered packet-based protocol, such as the Ethernet protocol. Details regarding TCP/IP may be obtained by referencing Request For Comments (RFC) 1180, January 1991. RFC 1180 may be obtained from the World Wide Web at the following URL: www.freesoft.org. The Ethernet protocol is defined in the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers standard 802.3, 2000 edition, available from IEEE standards, 445 Hoes Lane, P.O. Box 1331, Piscataway, N.J., 08855-1331. Additional information may be found on the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://www.ieee.org.
Recent developments in networking technology have resulted in increases in potential data transfer rates of electronic data across networks. In this context, electronic data refers to one or more bits of digital data. These advances may result in network data transfer rates that exceed the data processing rates of computing platforms, which may ultimately result in a decrease in overall data transfer efficiency. A need exists for a method of increasing the data processing rate of computing platforms.